NRC Signs Deal To Work With Prairie Island Tribe

RED WING, Minn. (AP) — The Nuclear Regulatory Commission and Prairie Island Indian Community have agreed to cooperate on some issues as the agency considers the fate of spent nuclear fuel at Xcel Energy’s nuclear plant in Red Wing.

The agency announced Monday a memorandum of understanding with the tribe outlining how they’ll cooperate as the agency considers renewing Xcel’s license to store spent fuel at the plant, which is next door to the Prairie Island reservation. The tribe is fighting the extension.

The NRC says it will recognize the tribe’s expertise on issues of historical and archaeological resources, socioeconomic considerations, land use and environmental justice, and give extra weight to the tribe’s comments in those areas.

An NRC board opens a preliminary hearing on the tribe’s concerns Nov. 8 in St. Paul.